The
town of Dras is located in a relatively flat and open space. It has
extensive willow groves along the river. Insummer this town presents a
pleasant look while
in winter it discovered under a thick blanket of snow. Dras
experiences the lowest temperatures in the valley and with its
altitude of3,300 m, this town is said to be the second coldest
inhabited place in Asia. The mercury may drop to as low as 40 degrees
Celcius below freezing point. Often the small huts are covered by snow
and communication with the outside world is cut off.

The Dras Valley is
an enchanting valley formed by the Dras River which rises in the
Machoi glacier near the famous Zozila Pass. The river is joined in its
course by many other rivers and streams flowing in from snowfields in
the nearby mountains.

Drass (3230 m),
60 km west of Kargil on the road to Srinagar, is a small township
lying in the centre of the valley of the same name. It has become
famous as the second coldest inhabited place in the world by virtue of
the intense cold that descends upon the valley along with repeated
snowfalls during winters. Winter temperature is sometimes known to
plummet to less than minus 40 degrees.
The Drass valley starts from the base of the Zojila pass, the
Himalayan gateway to Ladakh. For centuries its inhabitants are known
to have negotiated this formidable pass even during the most risky
period in the late autumn or early spring, when the whole sector
remains snow-bound and is subject to frequent snow storms, to
transport trader's merchandise across and to help stranded travellers
to traverse it. By virtue of their mastery over the pass they had
established a monopoly over the carrying trade during the heydays of
the Pan-Asian trade. A hardly people enduring with fortitude and
harshness of the valley's winter, the inhabitants of drass can well be
described as the guardian's of Ladakh's gateway

The river Shigar flowing in from the north drains
an adjoining part of the Dras Valley. In summer, as the snow in the
upland smelts, the volume of this river rises considerably. It meets
the Suru River near Kharul a short distance away from Kargil.The
terrain is characterized by rock and stone with the occasional
greenish patch formed by willow and groves.

There is a short summer season in the Dras Valley. It begins inMay,
when the snows begin to melt. Crop sowing activities startlate, while
harvesting is done early so that the crops arebrought in before the
beginning of snowfall.
Barley and other coarse cereals are the main crops grown inthis
valley. Agricultural production is hampered due to thepoor and
unproductive soil and the short growing season. Moreover, there is a
lack of irrigation facilities in many parts of the Dras Valley.
As a result, agricultural yields are not enough to meet theneeds of
the people living in this valley. Food grains have tobe imported from
the Kashmir Valley. Fuel too is a scarce commodity and has to be
brought in from across the Zozila Pass.Brokpas are the people living
in the Dras Valley. They probably migrated to this tract from Gilgit
several centuries ago.

Drass is a
convenient base for a 3-day long trek to Suru valley across the
sub-range separating the two valleys. This trek passes through some of
the most beautiful upland villages and flower sprinkled meadows on
both sides of the 4500 mts high Umbala pass, which falls enroute. The
trek to the holy cave of Amarnath in neighboring Kashmir, which stars
from Minamarg below Zojila, takes 3 days and involves crossing of 5200
mts high pass. Drass also offers numerous shorter treks and hikes to
the upland villages.

PRIME
ATTRACTIONS

Zoji La
The Drass valley starts from the base of the Zoji La pass, the
Himalayan gateway to Ladakh . For centuries its inhabitants are known
to have negotiated this formidable pass even during the most risky
period in the late autumn or early spring, when the whole sector
remains snow-bound and is subject to frequent snow storms, to
transport trader's merchandise across and to help stranded travellers
to traverse it.

By virtue of their mastery over the pass they had established a
monopoly over the carrying trade during the heydays of the Pan-Asian
trade. A hardly people enduring with fortitude and harshness of the
valley's winter, the inhabitants of Drass can well be described as the
"Guardian's of Ladakh's Gateway".

Puga Valley
The Puga Valley is famous for its hot water springs. Every year
hundreds of visitors come to this valley for a bath in these springs
as this is known to help people suffering from rheumatism and skin
diseases.

Trekking
Drass is a convenient base for a 3-day long trek to Suru valley across
the sub-range separating the two valleys. This trek passes through
some of the most beautiful upland villages and flower sprinkled
meadows on both sides of the 4,500m high Umbala pass, which falls
enroute.

The trek to the holy cave of Amarnath in neighbouring Kashmir, which
stars from Minamarg below Zoji La, takes 3 days and involves crossing
of 5,200m high pass. Drass also offers numerous shorter treks and
hikes to the upland villages

HOW TO REACH
THERE

Road:
Buses plying between Srinagar and Kargil/Leh touch Drass. Local buses
leave Kargil in the morning and afternoon for Drass. Srinagar is
well-connected with rest of the country via Air and Road through
National Highway NHIA.

WHERE TO STAY

The Tourist
Complex here provides furnished rooms and suites. Advance reservation
can be done through the tourist office at Kargil or its branch at
Drass. Some private hotels also provide rooms equipped with basic
necessities.

Note: All Tourists to Ladakh travelling from Srinagar by road
are required to register themselves at the Tourist Registration Centre
at Drass.